Like Gary Cooper
by pandorabox82
Summary: Henrik finds that he can't keep his eyes off Roxanna when she tries to spice things up in their lives. But has this latest game gone a smidge too far?


"I must admit, Roxanna, when you said that you wanted to try something a little bit different, I did not imagine that this was quite what you had in mind."

She arched an eyebrow as she smoothed her hands down the front of her waistcoat, tugging at the hem a little to remove invisible wrinkles there. To say that she was nervous about this was an understatement, but it was something that she had been intrigued by for so long. She knew that Henrik would never agree to something quite like this, but still, she thought it would be a good exercise at gender roles and seeing things from different eyes for a day. "Well, I just wanted to try something different, given that I did survive nearly being murdered by one of my best friends. Only to be rescued by my other best friend."

Closing the distance between them, Roxanna stood on her toes and kissed him gently, taking care not to smudge her makeup. It had been difficult to apply such a different face that morning, but after she had slipped on a simple pair of gold rimmed wire frames and looked at her reflection, she realized the transformation was so complete that she didn't know if she'd recognize herself on the street. Henrik pulled away from her and looked over her shoulder, as if he was uncomfortable with the way she currently looked. "Are you ready to head out?" he finally asked, adjusting his tie a little before giving her a distant smile.

Trying not to be bothered by the casual dismissal, Roxanna nodded and moved towards the door of their rental flat, waiting for him to catch up to her. He was a bit slower in coming, and she frowned a little at the reticence, wanting to read his mind in that moment to see what was going on in there. Rolling her eyes a bit, she opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight, breathing in the crisp autumn air as she started walking towards the town centre, knowing that he would eventually get over himself and join her.

She tried to adopt the same gait that Lofty and Sacha used, knowing that it was so different from her own, and she truly did want to see if she could pass as a man somewhere where no one knew her. It wasn't until she stopped to examine a window display that she caught sight of someone trying to surreptitiously check her out, and she carefully looked over her shoulder to give the woman a crooked grin before noticing that the woman was blushing and ducking her head a little before she scurried off down the road.

"It seems I'm not the only head you turn, darling." Henrik's voice rumbled in her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine as she turned to look at him. "Do I have to be worried?"

Though his voice was neutral, she could read a hint of fear in there and she wondered if she should tease him or not. The look on his face as she was making her decision told her that she needed to put him out of his misery, and she smiled softly as she shook her head. "It's fun to play, but you are my heart's home, Henrik." Reaching out, Roxanna patted his chest lightly before continuing to amble down the street, Henrik finally keeping pace with her.

She knew that the binder on her chest would bother her, but she hadn't expected it to start hurting quite so much so soon. Wincing a little, she pressed her hand to her sternum and shook her head before turning into the next shop and looking around. The clerk there was the woman from earlier, and Roxanna felt a blush of her own stain her cheeks as she turned and went to go, only to run directly into Henrik, who steadied her with a quick hand grab to her upper arm. "Careful, darling."

She nodded and stepped away from him in order to get her bearings back, and noticed that the clerk was watching them intently, an expression somewhere between happiness and disappointment on her face. Roxanna tousled her hair with her hand before dragging Henrik over to the display case she was behind, perusing the baubles there. "Can I help you gentlemen with anything?"

Her voice was higher than Roxanna had thought it would be, and she looked up at Henrik, daring him to speak first. "You really shouldn't be a tease, Rox. But the poor woman out of her misery."

The clerk's eyes widened as she looked between the two of them. Roxanna tried to shake off the persona she had put on the moment she walked out of the door of their flat, and allowed herself to relax into Henrik. "I was playing a silly game, trying to see if I could live like a man for a day. It seems I'm better than I thought. There's something liberating about being who you're not."

The woman nodded before looking back down at the display. "I can see the appeal, but man or woman, you're still pretty fit." Roxanna choked on a laugh as Henrik slipped his arm around her waist possessively. "But of course, all the fit ones are already taken. Is there anything I can help you with, though?"

Henrik took a look down into the case, and Roxanna followed his gaze, immediately picking out the piece that caught his eye. It was a bejeweled phoenix pin, and she nodded before looking up at him. "It's perfect."

It didn't take long for the clerk to get them taken care of, and then they were heading back to the apartment, the jewelry box in her pocket. "Are we going to order take away for lunch, then?" she asked as he unlocked the door and let them in.

"Perhaps later," he said lowly as he slipped the jacket from her shoulders. "I have something a little different in mind for us right now. Excuse me while I hang this up, I think that I'll want to see you in it again at some point."

She shivered at the husky tone in his voice and gave him a small nod before drifting over to the bedroom, knowing that that was where this all was going to lead. She had just started to fumble with the top button on her shirt when he came up behind her and nuzzled his nose into her hair, breathing deeply. "Henrik," she said, trying to turn in his arms, only to feel his embrace tighten a little.

"You used my aftershave. I thought you smelled familiar, but couldn't place the scent."

"I wanted to go all in," she replied as his nimble fingers worked their way down her chest, opening the shirt before pulling it off her shoulders. She circled her shoulders a little, trying to relieve some of the pressure that had built up there, only to feel the tightness of the binder dig into her skin a little more. "You need to move a little faster, darling," she said as she pulled her arms out of the sleeves and turned to face him.

He nodded and slung the shirt over his arm before grabbing the hem of her vest and tugging it over her head, revealing the binder that was tormenting her so. "Darling…"

"I know, I know. I don't understand how people can wear these all day, but I give them credit for doing so. The hooks are in the back." She turned her back to him, and sighed in relief as she felt each hook come undone, holding the binder to her chest as his fingernails lightly dragged over her back. "That feels amazing, Henrik. Don't stop."

"Your back is so red around the edges of the binder, Roxanna," he said lowly before she felt him take a step or two back. She frowned and a small groan of disappointment slipped out before she felt his lips press against her back, caressing her skin with a sweetness that caused her to tear up. "You should have chosen a different size. If we do this again, you'll need to be comfortable."

She smirked as she turned to face him, letting the binder fall to the floor as she looked up into Henrik's eyes. "I thought you were uncomfortable with all this," she said as she twined her arms around his neck, waiting to see what his next move would be.

"I was having difficulty reconciling how attractive I find you as a woman with how attractive I found you dressing as a man. There are certain aspects of sexuality that I have chosen not to address because of my own issues with intimacy, and this is perhaps one of them. In the vernacular of Mister Copeland, you look very hot with your makeup like that, and putting on a completely different persona. And while I don't know what that says about me, it makes me realise that I love you all the more for being strong enough to take a step out of your comfort zone, to try something different." He brushed his hand up and down her back as she sighed softly. "You've given me so many reasons to be proud of you and to love you more."

Her smile grew wider as he bent his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss, his hands fumbling with the fastenings on her trousers before skimming them and her pants down her legs. "And here you are, still in your clothes, looking at me like I'm some sweet treat you want to devour."

"I wouldn't be that crude about it," he started to protest before Roxanna kissed him once again, her hands scrabbling for the hem of his jumper, tugging it up his torso and letting it bunch around his neck as she undid the buttons on his shirt, never breaking their kiss. Finally, though, he pulled away from her and pulled the jumper off his neck before slipping his arms from his sleeves and then bending to pick up their clothes. "Wait for me on the bed."

She nodded and waltzed over to the bed, knowing that he was watching her from the corner of his eye, even as he tidied up after them. "I'm waiting, Henrik," she purred out as she stretched out on the mattress, making certain to recline on her side so that she could watch him intently, her eyes scanning up and down his body as he bent over to pick up his trousers.

"And I know for a fact that you are enjoying watching me." Roxanna blushed a little, not saying anything as she tried to avert her gaze when he turned around, even though she knew he would catch her out, he always did. Since he always had his eyes on her, something she should have noticed much sooner than she did. "Isn't that the truth?" he asked as he made his way towards her, his gait smooth and even, the smirk on his lips filling her with lust as she nodded. "Have you lost your voice, Rox?"

"N-no, Henrik," she said before clearing her throat a little and scooting over on the bed, giving him room to lay down. He stretched his long frame out along hers, and Roxanna relaxed against him, curving an arm around his wait as they began to kiss once more. Though a part of her wanted to take the lead, she knew that Henrik would want to this time, given how worked up he was, and she sighed against his lips as his hand swept up and down her side, caressing her skin, thumbing her nipple into an erect peak as he turned her onto her back and gently parted her thighs with his leg, fitting himself between them as she arched her back up, trying to get in close contact with him as he thrust into her welcoming body. "I love you."

"I know, I love you, too," he replied before resting his forehead against hers, their eyes never moving from each other as they continued to make love, the contact centering them as they wiled away the afternoon in bed, Roxanna so happy to have this time with him after everything they had been through.


End file.
